Device for winding model aeroplanes



Nov. 14, 1933. c. M. WILMOT El AL 1,935,534

DEVICE FOR WINDING MODEL AEROPLANES Filed March 51, 1932 2 Sheets-Shet 1My 24W V I WZJW 4, 3- c. M. WILMOT El AL DEVICE FOR WINDING MODELAEROPLANES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1932 *4 ATTORNEY PatentedNov. 14, 1933 FOR WINDING MODEL: :AEROPLANES Dev-Ion Charles MandevilleWilmetand John' Mandeville wilinoh llondon, England I f Applicant; Marcntlyle z, Serial No. 602304;

- and in Great Britain April 14, V a

This inventionrelates' to devices'for' use in: windingmodelor toyaeroplanes; j

'Ihe principal object of the invention is'to.

10 an improved form of container for a model aeroplane having detachablewingslsuch, for example, as those of the kind set forth inUnited Statespatent application Serial No; 525,GO4=ffiled 24th March 1931.

Qther objects' of after appear. Y I I I In order that theinvention maybe clearly un the mveh n will hereinderstood and readilycarried intoeifect, one con-- struction in -accordaneetherewitn will, now 'be '2described by way of examplewith referenceto the accompanying.drawings,-in which Figure 1 is a plan of a combined containing box.and. winding device; 7

Figure .2 is a longitudinal section throughthe samebox, and m Figures 3and 4 are sectionson the lines III- III and IV-IV respectively,of Figure1.

Referring to the drawingsthe devi e consists of a rectangularcardboardibox 1 having atone end a metal casing 2 m'which'are-journalledtwo spindles V3 and4. The spindle 3 projects through anaperture 5 in the end of the box 1 and is made.

square in -cross-section so as to receive .a wind ing key 6. The spindle3 is connected; through step-up gearing 7; 8 .to drive the'spindle. 4',and a pawl in the form of .a spring 9 is provided to prevent unwindingof the air-screw or'jaccidental winding thereof in the :wrong directionsV The-box is intended to receive a model aeroplane of the kindillustrated in; United States patent application-Serial No. 525,004=,andsuch an aeroplane is shown at 10 ,inchain lines in Figures 1 and 2. Thebox is internally so fitted that-the fuselage of the ae'roplane 10enters a v substantially- U-shaped' slot; 11 in v a transverse partition12, while part of the fuselage rests upon a cradle 13 and the wings passthrough rectangular slots 14 'formed'inthejside' of, the box 1. When itis desired to wind the motor of: the aeroplane, the latter is advancedslightly in the box so that the air-screw shaft enters a hollow socketformed on the end of the. spindle 4. and the air-screw itself is;engaged by7 an L- shaped arm 15 fixed on the end of-jthe spindleRotation ofothe winding keygdwill,then serve to wind up the motor, and.the aeroplane will: be

held against rotation by vir'tuefof the engage- 'inentfof the fuselagein the Ufshaped slot 11 in.

the partition '12. The end r the arm 15 is m elmedtotlie axis of'theair-screw at a slightly smaller angle than'the surface of the air-screwwithiwhich 'itcomes in contact, as'shown .in Figurefl.. The result ofthis is that the point of the arm 15' does not tend to dig'into theair-' screw, but. during rotation the arm pullsthe air-screw, and thusthe whole aeroplane, for- 'waras and'so causes the end 'ofthe' airsc'rew spindle. to enter the socket formed onthe'fend of the spindle 4.It is not, therefore, necessary toforce' the aeroplane forwards by handduring 7 the windingoperation. I v I The partition .12 constitutespartof a single length of "cardboard which is bent as shown to form two;small pockets or compartments, l6 and 17,.one of which may cohvenientlycontain a spare elastic motor and the other -the winding key wh'en thelatter isnotin use. The partition 12 also. forms with the, casing 2andthe pockets 16 and 1'7 a large pocket or compartment- 18whichextendstcompletely across thewidth ,of 30 the box 1 and in whichthefair-screw is'accorn- 1 modated both when the box is used as acontainer and when it is usedas, a winding device.

The i-cradle ld, which. is [also made. of card board, has twoslopingsides as shown with a gap, between} the, upper edges and twosubstanv tially. triangular ends formed. withnotches 19 I and V. 20which receive the fuselage. When the boxfis .to 'be used as a container,thewingsof the aeroplane aredetachedand ar'eflaid along the usides ofthe cradle where they. are held lsafel yfin' position by z rrieans ofsemicircular tongues '21 formed by making semi-circular slits and; thenJ bending outwards slightly the pieces of .material within theljslits,Ears 22 similarly I formedrare provided at" the rearward end of thecradle to locate thewings in position longltu di} nally. Thewingsthusfiheld are shown in chain lines at 23in Figures .,1 and};Whenthe wings are providedwith ribs which receive transverse sparsprojecting from the fuselage-as described in UnitediStates patentapplication serial No. 525,00,-the spars project across the tensor thewingsand hold the latter when theyiare'resting on the cradle. The cradlemay easily be made. from' a singlehpiece. of cardboard, suitablyicut Yand bent, and has the additional advantage that it serves to prevent theaeroplane being-crushed if the sides of .the' boxfl'should be pressed inaccidentally.

When the whole aeroplane is packed in the box, the latter may beenclosed within a deep cover 24 indicated in chain lines in Figure 2.

Of course, in all the constructions according to the invention anysuitable multiplying driving connection may be inserted between the 'tworotatable spindles provided that it is sufficiently positive and doesnot slip when the motor is being wound. For example, instead of thetoothed wheels illustrated, a gear train including bevel or crown wheelsmay be used or, again,-

screw of an aeroplane having two air-screws.

In the case of aeroplanes in which air-screws are arranged to rotate indiiierent directions, it is most convenient to drive the separatewinding chuc'ksby means of small chains from the driving spindle,because one or more of the chains can be crossed so as to givethedesired reversal of rotation;

If desired an indicator may be provided to show the number of turns thathave been given.

to theflair-screw during winding.

Although the invention has been particularly described in connectionwith toy aeroplanes constitu'ting scale models of full size aircraft, itmay obviously also be applied to devices for winding spar machines inwhich there is no fuselage but simply 'a longitudinal spar or rod. Theparticular advantage obtained by means or the invention is that the boxor frame can be held in one hand and the winding eifected by the other,whereas in'previous cases where a winderh'as been usedit'ha's beennecessary either It? have two people present or to fix either the Winderor the aeroplane to some stationary object. i

1.'A"device for use" in winding the driving means of a'modelaeroplanecomprising "in 'comination a box, a handle jou-rnalled in said box,connecting means -fortransmitting rotary movement of said handlerelatively to said box to the driving means of a model aeroplane'placedjin said box, and means incorporated as a part of the boxstructure in saidbox adapted to prevent movement of v the aeroplanerelatively to said box as a result of torque reaction due to the windingof said driving means.

2.,A device for use in winding the driving means .of a model aeroplanecomprising in combination a rectangular box, a metal frame inside saidrectangular box adjacent one side thereof and fixed thereto, 'a drivingrotatable spindle and a driven rotatable spindle both journalled in saidmetal'framaga handle located on the outside .of said box connected tosaid driving rotatable spindle, a'step-up gearing connecting driving andsaid driven rotatable spindles, means upon said driven rotatable spindleadapted to engage an airscrew of an aeroplane placed in saidbox andtocause said airscrew 'to-turn when said handle "is turned, and means in'said box 'adaptedtopreventmovement of said modelaeroturning of saidairscrew.

3. A device for use in winding the driving" means of a model aeroplanecomprising in combination a frame adapted to engage a model aeroplane, adriving spindle and a driven spindle both journalled in said frame, ahandle fixed to said driving spindle, a multiplying driving connectionbetween said driving spindle and said driven spindle so arranged thatthe latter-will turn fasterrthan said driving spindle, an arm fixedsubstantially at right angles to said driven spindle, a lug fixed tosaid arm in a position remote from said driven spindle, said lug beingadapted to contact with a blade of the air-screw of a model aeroplaneengaged by said frame and rotate said airscrew upon rotation of saiddriven spindle, said lug being so shaped that it contacts aeroplane thatupon rotation of said arm said modelaeroplane is urged towards saiddriven spindle, and centering means uponsaid driven spindle adapted toengage the centre of said airscrew when the latter is urged forward bysaid lug, said frame being so arranged as to prevent turning movement ofsaid model aeroplane relatively to it as a result of torque react-iondue to the turning of "said airscrew. q T

4. A device for use in winding the driving means of a model aeroplanecomprising combination a box, a cradle fixed inside said box and soshaped as to receive the fuselage of a model aeroplane and hold saidfuselage against any tendency to turn about its'longi-tudinal axis, ahandle journalled in said box, connec-ting me'ans attached to said boxfor transmitting rotary movement of said handle relatively to said boxto the airscrew of a model aeroplane engaged by said cradle, and amultiplying drive incorporated in said connecting means and soarranged-that when said handle is turnedsaid airscrewis wound at agreater rate than therate at-whichsaid handle is turned.

,5. A toy comprising in combination 'a model aeroplane having afuselage, a rectangular box, a cradle fixed in said box and adapted tohold the centre portion of the fuselage of said model aeroplane, apartition in said box formed with a slot 'located'so as to engage thenose of the fuse- 'lage of said model aeroplane when held by saidcradle, said partition and said cradle -being operative to hold saidmodel aeroplane against rota tion about its longitudinal axis, windingmeans fixed in said box adapted to wind the driving means of said modelaeroplane when its fuselage is engaged by said cradle and said partitionand a cover for closing said "box. 1 1

6. A toy comprising in combination a -mode'l aeroplane havinga fuselage,a rectangular box,

a strip i-n-said box so bent as to :form with "the walls of said boxcompartmentslocated at the said supporting means being adapted to locatesaid model aeroplane in a position such *thatit can be engaged by saidwinding :means and to prevent any tendency for said fuselage to rotateabout its longitudinal axis. a

7. A device for use in winding the driving means of -a-model aeroplanecomprising incom- '-bination a box, a frame inside.said :box adjacentone -'side thereof and "fixed thereto, a driving rotatable spindle and adriven rotatable spindle both journalled 'in said frame, a handlelocated on the outside of said box connected to said driving rotatablespindle; a multiplying driving connection between'said driving anddriven rotatable spindles, means upon said driven rotatable spindleadapted to engage anairscrew of an aeroplane placed in said box and tocause 1 said airscrew to turn when said handle is turned,

and means in said-box adapted to prevent move ment of said modelaeroplane as a result of torque porated as a part of the box structureadapted to prevent movement of the aeroplane relatively to the said boxas a result of torque reaction due to the winding of said driving means.I

9. In a device for use in winding the driving means ofa model aeroplane;a box, gearing secured to the said box, a handle journalled in the boxand operative to rotate the gearing, means for transmitting the rotarymotion of the gearing to the driving means of amodel aeroplane placed inthe said box, and means incorporated as a part of the said box structureadapted to prevent movementof the aeroplanerelatively to the said 7 boxas a result of torque reaction due to the winding of said driving means.1

CHARLES MANDEVILLE'WILMQT.

JOHN M. WILMOT.

